As the weather heats up, chances are your kids won’t be cooling down. Let them burn off their energy
in the best indoor play areas Abu Dhabi has to offer.
Kool Kidz
This play area in World Trade Center Mall opened in late 2013 and takes indoor recreation to a whole new level. It has the traditional ball pit and soft play areas that kids always look forward to, as well as several additional features. The space has been designed as a caricature of the Abu Dhabi and Dubai skylines – featuring Aldar headquarters (the iconic circular building), the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority building and a tall, mirrored replica of the Burj Khalifa. It includes a children’s spa, an arts and crafts area, an Xbox room and Eyeplay, an interactive video game in which kids use their whole body to play. Children who are three and over may stay and play in Kool Kidz – which is safely enclosed and monitored at all times – while their parents shop around the mall or grab a drink at the cafe within the play area. Kool Kidz charges by time, starting at Dhs60 for the first hour and then Dhs30 for every additional hour.
World Trade Center Mall, Al Markaziyah, www.koolkidz.ae (02 677 0954).
Art Beat 
Creative kiddos will enjoy this Mushrif craft-making centre. It provides a number of arts and crafts activities including decoupage, porcelain painting, glass painting, window-sticker making and painting on wood or canvases. Prices vary from Dhs15 to Dhs150 depending on the activities chosen, and all of the materials are included in the cost. The centre caters to all ages, from babies doing hand- and footprints on canvases and plates, to grandma and grandpa accompanying their grandchildren or parents wanting to come in to do some artwork on a hot day. Art Beat is a stand-alone location, so parents must stay with their tot on a visit – but many enjoy helping their child with a new craft. It’s certainly a step above crayons and finger paints.
Al Mushrif, www.artbeatuae.com (055 269 8011).
Fun City
One of the most popular indoor play areas in the city, Fun City has four locations in Abu Dhabi. It caters to children aged one to 12, with separate play spaces for different ages. Fun ’n’ Learn is devoted to children up to four years old, and includes a pretend kitchen, dress-up costumes, and arts and crafts. These activities are designed so children can mirror adult behaviour, helping them develop critical cognitive skills. Trained play facilitators help toddlers and young children with all activities. For older kids, there is a variety of more exciting rides including rollercoasters and slides. Adults will even enjoy some of the bigger rides. Fun City uses Powercards, which you can load with credit (a minimum of Dhs75, which comes with a Dhs25 bonus). Rides and games cost between Dhs8 and Dhs12 each.
Various locations including Dalma Mall, Musaffah, www.funcity.ae (02 550 7407).
Sparky’s
To call Sparky’s an indoor play area is an understatement. This action-packed venue is more of an indoor amusement park than indoor play area. It has activities, rides and games for children aged three and up, although some of the rides are only open to children aged six and over. Sparky’s offers entertainment including as a 3D cinema, rollercoasters, bumper cars, arcade games and a soft play area for young children. It also has an exciting 4D cinema, where kids are strapped into special seats that allow them to feel the show they’re watching. Its Khalidiyah location also has an ice rink where kids can skate, play ice hockey or try their hand at curling, where teams slide stones on a sheet of ice towards a target. Buy a play card starting at Dhs115 and receive a credit of Dhs35. Rides cost between Dhs9 and Dhs45.
Khalidiyah Mall, Al Khalidiyah, www.sparkys.info (02 635 4316).
